As a member of NSTA and someone who watched the bruhaha over the non-disbursement of "An Inconvenient Truth" without commenting, I would like to share some information from NSTA.
Today they sent out a global e-mail to their membership with a response to specifically discuss what their actual position on the distribution of the DVD and their attitude on specific product distribution.
Per the press release, in 2001, the NSTA made a decision not to do specific product endorsements. Now, I am not exactly sure what that means, but in the time that I have been a member, I have not seen the NSTA endorse any software, hardware, or teaching program for profit. They are mostly concerned with making sure that teachers have resources between each other for best practices and that appropriate science benchmarks are written statewide and nationwide as these issues arise.
Per the document that I was sent, these are the items that NSTA offered to Laurie David when the offer for the copies of "An Inconvenient Truth" was brought to the NSTA.
- Provide a link on NSTA's website that will enable middle and high school science teachers to receive the DVD for free from their distribution center.
- Purchase the NSTA mailing list for distribution.
- Announce the availability of the DVD through newsletters e-mailed weekly and monthly journals.
- Provide an opportunity for representatives to exhibit at the National Conference on Science Education in St. Louis.
- Create an online message board open to NSTA and non-NSTA membership to discuss global warming.
It appears that NSTA fully supports the concept, is willing to give space to offer it, but will not actually distribute the DVD itself.
Also, they have extended an invitation to Al Gore to be a keynote speaker at their annual convention in late March in St. Louis.
These teacher organizations may not be perfect, but they are doing the best they can under the bylaws that they have already set up. My two cents